Dream to pursue medicine becomes a reality for IUPUI undergrad

Plater International Scholar Luis Ramos moved 2,000 miles away from his hometown of Cidra, Puerto Rico, in the fall of 2013 to study biology at IUPUI. “When my family and I visited, we were very impressed with the feel of Indianapolis and the connection with campus,” says Ramos, an aspiring physician. “IUPUI has so many hospitals near campus, I knew I’d have an opportunity to have experiences in the medical field,” he adds.

Ramos is currently part of an IUPUI Life-Health Sciences Internship Program, where he assesses narratives by third-year medical students reflecting on their experiences during their internal medicine clerkships and transcribes patient-physician consult simulation videos. “I’m able to gain experience that can help me become a better physician,” says Ramos. “My internship experience aligns perfectly with my career goals.”

As a freshman, Ramos lived in the International House (also known as I-House), which serves as on-campus housing and a living and learning center for students from nearly 20 countries, including the United States.

“Everything started in I-House, and I met some of my best friends,” says Ramos, whose roommates included students from Taiwan, India, Colombia, and Indiana.

Ramos accredits his Honors biology professor, Dr. Kathleen Marrs, as well as his fellow Honors students, for helping him find his way after moving so far from home. “Dr. Marrs remembered my name and where I was from, and after I came here all alone, that makes a big difference for me and other students that might feel alone at first,” says Ramos.

Honors courses continued to make an impact on Ramos’s undergraduate career. “I’ve always felt like I can reach out to Honors students,” says Ramos. "I met a lot of my friends through my Honors courses.”

Ramos says his parents, who are both physicians, and his time as a Boy Scout inspired him to pursue a career in medicine. The Boy Scout oath “help other people at all times” has stuck with him from a young age.

His commitment to help others is obvious by his campus engagement as a mentor for biology and chemistry students, as well as a volunteer for various campus organizations and events such as Paw’s Pantry and the César Chávez Day of Service.